


Runaway

by unofficialbusiness



Category: Borderlands, Tales from the Borderlands - Fandom
Genre: AU, Experimentation, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rhys runs away
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-06
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-05-25 04:18:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6179914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unofficialbusiness/pseuds/unofficialbusiness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five years ago Rhys ran away with no reason, Jack then forced to spend his sleepless nights with beer instead of with his lost boyfriend. But one of these nights the guards bring him back, along with some secrets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Going to try a full story. I won't update on a schedule and there is no telling how fast I'll update.

Jack groaned loudly as he sat up in his bed. He looked over at the clock and saw a yellow light showing 2:14. A perfect time for Jack to be awake.  
The room was dark and peaceful, just the way Jack liked it. He absolutely adored the darkness, that's why he got some new thing some of the lab rats had invented. It blocked out pretty much all light in the room with a snap of your fingers.   
"Maybe that's why you never get any sleep at night. You love the night too much." Jack remembers Rhys saying that one night. Him and Rhys were wrapped up under the covers just trying to sleep and he whispered it in his ear right before he fell asleep. It sounded like a funny thing to say when you're in the middle of space but Jack always noticed a difference when it was daytime.   
He'd been pissed when he discovered that Rhys had ran away, disappeared into the night. Jack never found out why and it had been five years since he left. Jack's men couldn't find him, only traces of him have been found. There was even some evidence supporting the fact that he died. Jack refused that idea and continued searching but the case went dry. He still has men out there though, just wandering around, he told them to not come back unless the found Rhys.  
Jack trudged into the kitchen and opened op the fridge. He found some drink that Angel liked, milk, water, and beer. That's what he usually drank at this time, trying to forget and go to sleep.  
After he chugged the first can and started sipping at another he just stared aimlessly out the window. There was no point of turning on the T.V. because Jack didn't watch any show that came on at this time but he found a loud knock on his door dragging him out of his stupor.   
He stood up from the couch and pulled a pistol up from his coffee table. Absolutely no one should be visiting him right now. Jack opened the door, armed and ready to shoot the bastard in the face, only to find a couple of his guards.  
He took in their scratched up armor and out dated guns but mostly ignored it. "What the hell do you want this early in the morning" Jack growled out. He doesn't even know how they got up here.   
The first guard looked nervous as he cleared his throat and spoke to the CEO. "Do you remember the search team you sent down to Pandora?"   
"Of course I fuckin' remember. What about it?" Jack was getting antsy as he switched from leaning on his right foot to left, then back to right.   
The second guard announced something Jack had been waiting to hear for five years "We found him." The sentence brought so much glee to Jack he had to refrain from shoving the men out of his way and finding where he was himself.  
Rhys moved in front of Jack's view and met his eyes. Jack could cry from happy his was. "Out" He ordered the guards, once they were far enough away he engulfed Rhys in a hug. "Don't you ever do that again Rhysie, I'll kill you." He stated, gripping Rhys tighter. He didn't respond to Jack's statement and just stood there.  
"You're very unresponsive, something wrong?" For the first time Jack took in the newly acquired cybernetics. Before he left he hadn't had any, now he's sporting a silver arm and a yellow eye. Rhys opened his mouth to say something but only a hiss came out.  
Jack was shocked and Rhys tried to talk again but it was clear he had no voice. "We've got to get you a medic." He then called them down and awaited their arrival.   
The noise woke Angel up as she stumbled through the house with sleep-filled eyes. "Daddy, what's going on?" She whined as she hadn't yet seen Rhys.  
Jack waved her over and pointed to Rhys who seemed ecstatic to see her. Angel neared Rhys by practically leaping towards him. A pain shot through Rhys and Angel when she got closer than a two feet. She cried out as she went to the ground and Rhys clutched his head, leaning over on the ground.  
He raced over to his fallen daughter and checked her pulse, it's still there. "Please be okay Angel." He whispered before calling out to Rhys "Are you okay cupcake?"  
Rhys nodded just barely despite his current state. "Where the fuck is my medics?" Jack shouted into the room, cradling Angel his arms. The medics arrived not long after and were shocked to see that two people needed help.  
"Stop standing there and do your job!" Jack barked, allowing one of the medics to take a look at his daughter.   
"We need to get them to the hospital, that's they only way we can help them because we can't do it here." A small woman with bright red hair informed him. After that they raced down to the hospital part of Hyperion and got both of them hooked up to big machines.  
Angel was in a coma and Rhys couldn't breath on his own. All Jack could do now was wait.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter already, yay!

Jack sat next to Rhys, tired but couldn't go to sleep. Rhys was currently sleeping, he had been like that for hours. The doctors drugged him up and he went out like a light. Angel was down in the lab and Jack had just left there to check up on Rhys. They didn't understand why Angel was in a coma or the various problems with Rhys.  
Jack groaned and looked at the clock, 8 A.M. There was nothing to do and the silence was killing him. On his right side, Rhys started to stir. He opened his mismatched eyes and stared straight ahead. He was in a trance, his eyes tracing over each medical poster in the room.   
"Hey, you're awake Rhysie. I've been waiting forever." Jack laughed at the end, a giant grin spread across his masked face. Slowly Rhys directed his vision towards the CEO. He blinked, his eyes focusing and unfocusing many times.   
"Too bad you still can't talk huh? It'd be way better to hear that voice of yours than to see you just nodding along, no matter how great hearing my voice is." Rhys went to respond out of habit but only went into a coughing fit.   
"You okay?" Jack questioned, concern lacing his tone. Rhys nodded in response and frowned, he hated not being able to talk to Jack properly. He lifted up his cybernetic arm, just to check if it still worked and it did.  
"The doctors are working to fix your voice right now." Jack stated, smiling again at his long-legged boyfriend. Rhys snuggled back into the covers and thought of something. Next to Rhys was a pen, no paper. All he needed was a pen or pencil and he could write to Jack.   
He snatched up the pen and acted like he was writing on something, trying to give a hint to Jack that he needed paper. "We're playing charades now cupcake? You know I'm terrible at that." Jack stared at the younger man, not quite able to figure out what he wanted, until it clicked.   
"Oh, you want paper! I could just get you a tablet." He stood up and went to the door. "I'll be right back, I'm going to go grab one." Jack left after, going to some unfortunate person office and stealing theirs. Rhys hated having Jack leave but now he'll be able to actually communicate with the man.  
An older doctor opened up the door and was surprised to see Rhys awake. "I'm sorry but do you happen to know where Handsome Jack is?" He questioned.   
Rhys raised his left hand and gave a 'eh' sign as best he could, as he still couldn't talk. "Do you mind explaining what that means?" The doctor, Dr.Gamod to be exact, was agitated now.   
Rhys motioned towards his throat and shook his head, the best way he could show that he couldn't talk. "Is he coming back here at all?" Dr.Gamod asked, setting his clipboard down.   
Rhys nodded and watched as the doctor bit his nail trying to figure out what to do. "I should've just messaged him, I'll do that right now." As soon as Dr. Gamod finished his sentence Jack came back through the door.   
"I was just looking for you sir." The doctor stated, picking up his neglected clipboard. Jack moved towards Rhys and gently laid the tablet on his lap before turning to the doctor. "We have found out some information on Angel, that I thought you would like to know." This peaked Rhys' sentence as he still didn't know what happened to Angel.  
"We still do know what caused it exactly but we have figured out that the coma should not last longer than a week." The doctor sounded happy when he informed Jack and he looked overall relived at the news.  
"Thank god, I thought I was going to have to kill one of you." Jack wasn't joking, when it came to Angel, he'd kill anyone in a blink of an eye; it was that simple. The doctor froze for a few moments before Jack started talking again.   
"Oh man, Rhysie did you see his face? That was friggin' hilarious." Jack chuckled as the doctor flushed and looked away, fixing his coat. Rhys could see past his façade. Jack was scared shitless, not that he would admit it to anybody.   
"You can leave now, do more research on her, the quicker you get it done, the less chance I kill you." Jack was using empty threats now, most likely he wouldn't kill him, Rhys knew that for a fact.   
'What happened to Angel exactly?' Rhys typed out on the tablet, lifting it up to show Jack.   
"After you and her were hurt for whatever reason she passed out and went into a coma. I tried my best to make sure you and her were okay. That's all we know besides the fact they figured that the coma shouldn't last longer than a week but you just heard that." Jack paused afterwards, gathering his thoughts and asking Rhys a question in turn.   
"Now why the hell did you disappear to Pandora like that kiddo?"   
Rhys wouldn't tell him, not now at least. It ate him up inside that he didn't even leave a note for Jack to read but that's what August told him, disappear without a trace, be a ghost. He tried to follow his orders the best he could and it worked until those soldiers found him. If only he'd been more secretive this wouldn't have happened.  
"Hello, Rhys I asked you a question" Jack wasn't trying to be rude but he couldn't help it. He needed to know, he wasn't going to settle for something stupid like 'I don't know'.  
'I'm not telling you now.' Rhys wrote in response, royally pissing Jack off.  
"WHY!" Jack roared, scaring Rhys a bit.  
'I'm waiting until I have my voice back' He wanted to tell Jack but he was going to put it off as long as he could.  
"Whatever" Jack slammed the door of the hospital room and stormed down the hall. Rhys flinched and sunk further into the rock-like bed. He would be mad for a while but Rhys knew Jack would come around, hopefully.   
Rhys sighed and stared out the small window in the corner of the room. 'I'm sorry Jack' He thought, closing his eyes and trying to go back to sleep.  
Jack was next to Angel in less than a minute, still not understanding why Rhys wouldn't tell him.   
His poor baby was in a coma, sleeping, looking as peaceful as ever. He brought down one of her stuffed animals to tuck next to her in case she woke up without him there. Jack wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon.   
"Wake up soon baby, I miss you."


	3. Chapter 3

Three days had passed and Jack was still pissed with Rhys, he hadn't seen the CEO at all. Rhys missed him and hated sitting in the room. Vaughn and Yvette hadn't been notified that he was back either.  
The days were torture and slowly Rhys gained a bit of his voice back. Rhys' voice had been screwed up for a while now, on Pandora he couldn't talk for at least 2 years. He doesn't remember what happened to cause this but he didn't care anymore, it was over.  
Damn, Rhys was hungry, starving even. Glancing over the clock he saw it wasn't even close to lunch time. "Ugh" He groaned loudly, sitting up so he could hit the help button. He was going to force them to give him food.  
He pressed the button and laid back down, trying to get comfy in the uncomfortable bed. A sudden noise from the speakers startled him. "Hey assholes, Handsome Jack here. I just want everyone to know that if anyone tries to screw me over like the poor guy on the floor here, that there will be hell to pay." The intercom went silent and Rhys was surprised to not hear anymore from him, that means someone had to have pissed him off bad.  
He shook his head and awaited the nurse that was supposed to arrive, only they didn't and it had been at least 10 minutes since he pressed the button. Being too lazy to press the button again he dealt with the growling in his stomach and tried to sleep. Tried being the key word as he heard two gun shots down the hallway.  
Rhys froze and found himself not knowing what to do. The sound of footsteps approaching his door made him scramble to stand up, only to fall down because his legs had fell asleep. The door slammed open and Rhys swore he looked like a deer caught in the headlights  
"What the fuck are you doing on the floor Rhysie?" Jack laughed, holstering the pistol in his hand. Blood was splattered on his chest and on his neck, but none on his face of course. It all depends on his mood, if he doesn't want blood on his face or in his hair he makes sure it doesn't happen.  
Rhys stood up on shaky legs, and plopped down on the bed. "Anyway, I'm still pissed with you but Angel woke up and demanded that I check and make sure you're okay. Now normally I could've just said I did but she has to hear your voice." Jack said calling Angel. A long time ago he made sure she had an echo comm and could use it.  
Jack gave the echo comm to Rhys as he already started calling Angel. "Daddy?" She questioned after she picked up.  
"No Angel, it's Rhys." His voice cracked from not using it and the sickness.  
"I knew daddy would listen to me." Angel said, making Rhys laugh as he heard her bouncing and clapping.  
"You've got him wrapped around your finger." Rhys chuckled and glanced over to Jack. He was smiling until he made eye contact with Rhys.  
"That's what mommy used to say!" She spoke excitedly and Rhys could feel Jack's growing anger. He stormed over to him and snatched the echo comm.  
"Sorry baby but the calls gotta end." He spoke into it, moving away from Rhys.  
"But daddy!" She whined, so loudly that Rhys could hear it from almost across the room. Jack winced at the sound.  
"No buts. I'll see you in a little bit." He ended the call and went to leave but stopped at the door. "Oh tell abs that I deserve a thanks." With that he left, slamming the door. It took more than a minute for Rhys to remember just who abs was.  
'Why would Vaughn need to thank him? Was it related to the gunshots?" He questioned himself, staring at the door, hoping Jack would walk back through so he could have someone to talk to.  
Seconds later 'abs' burst through the door with a humongous balloon that read 'Get Well' and a blood stained chocolate box. "Where the fuck have you been!" Vaughn shouted, shoving the gifts into his arms.  
"Pandora" He replied, his voice getting quiet at the end.  
"Why were you on Pandora?" Rhys knew he could trust Vaughn but answering this like his best friend wanted him to could cause some serious trouble, so Rhys stayed quiet.  
"Whatever, don't tell me, I'll get it out of you. Yvette said that she should be here soon." Vaughn informed him, leaning against the counter opposite of the bed. Rhys nodded, and smiled at his friend.  
"Why do you owe Handsome Jack a 'thanks'?" Rhys asked, watching a blush spread across his face.  
"You know Thatcher right?" He spoke. Thatcher was some asshole that tormented Vaughn every chance he got. He and Vasquez did it, as they were both best buddies. Rhys told them to fuck off a couple times but they never listened, just laughed and continued. There wasn't much Vaughn could do either, so he just dealt with it.  
"Well he came by and started making fun of me and snatched my glasses right off my face, then threatening to break them. I guess Jack was all murdery, and decided to kill him." Vaughn seemed disturbed by the memory.  
"But there were two gunshots." Rhys stated confused.  
"He, uh, shot Thatcher in the crotch first." Rhys mouthed an 'oh' and they settled into an uncomfortable silence, something that didn't happen easily.  
"The medicine they put me on should get my voice back and we can go do karaoke night again bro." He told Vaughn, breaking the awkward silence.  
"Don't you remember? They kicked us out because we were voted the worst singers on the galaxy." Vaughn replied, laughing at a past memory Rhys couldn't quite seem to fully remember.  
"It's not my fault you sing like a goat getting neutered." He joked with his friend, sitting up fully, without slouching.  
How would you even know what that sounds like bro?" Vaughn questioned, staring curiously at his friend.  
"Late night videos." Rhys replied, shivering at the thought. One night when he was really bored he found a website with some weird videos, that he has tried to forget but will not leave his mind.  
"I don't think I want to know." Vaughn spoke, slightly sympathetic for his best friend. Yvette walked in swaying her hips slightly. She placed her hands on said hips and spoke to Rhys.  
"You owe me a fancy dinner for all the lunches you missed."  
He rolled his eyes and replied "You always have your priorities straight, don't you?"  
"Now I'm sure Vaughn has asked but why did you leave like that? We were worried sick." Yvette asked, moving hair that had fallen into her eyes.  
"He won't tell you, don't bother." Vaughn waved a dismissive hand, making Rhys feel disappointed he didn't tell Vaughn earlier. A loud beeping noise filled the room, making it echo, while an automated voice came over the speakers.  
"Hyperion is going into lockdown. Any employees not in their respective areas in 5 minutes will be fired."  
"Sorry bro, you heard the robot. Eat the chocolates!" Vaughn shot off down the hall. Yvette giving an apologetic look before going down the hall herself. Another announcement was not a moment later and it had Rhys wondering what the hell was going on.  
"Now, I thought that I just told you numbskulls not to fuck with me. But you didn't fucking listen, of course. You all know who you are and if I don't see you in, lets say, 2 minutes, I'll make sure to hunt you down and torture you, making sure you have a slow, painful, death."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if I don't get character's actions, dialogue and crap right. I have always been terrible with and probably always will be.


End file.
